Rowers poised for Atlantic challenge

The Skandia Ocean Row Team is set to depart from St John's, Newfoundland, Canada, today, to attempt their record-breaking row across the Atlantic

The Skandia Ocean Row Team is set to depart at 21.00 BST from St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, today, to attempt their record-breaking row across the Atlantic in under 35 days. The weather conditions are reported to be fair, with a light north-easterly wind of 8-10 knots for the first stage of the row. Conditions are set to remain favourable for the next two-three days.

If successful, the Skandia Ocean Row team will become the fastest ocean rowing team in history to complete an Atlantic crossing. This would entitle them to two entries in the Guinness Book of Records: 1) Fastest West-to-East trans-Atlantic row (crewed); and, 2) fastest trans-Atlantic row – overall (provided that they break all previous Atlantic rowing records).

The current world record has stood for over 100 years, set by the two-man team of Harbo & Samuelson in 1896, in an 18ft wooden whaler boat called the Richard K Fox. It took them 55 days to arrive in the Isles of Scilly. Their record was tied only by solo rower Tom McClean, who matched their time 90 years later in a boat called Skoll 1080.

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